such success that he there gained Lydia with her family, and many others, whom he afterwards confirmed in the faith by his miracles and by his sufferings. For he there publicly closed the mouth of devils; and having been brought before the magistrates and scourged with Silas for the name of Jesus, he enlightened with celestial brightness the darkness of the prison itself in which they were placed. And although the magistrates drove him from the town, still his word, his blood, and his works were so efficacious, that he left there a good company of Christians. Whilst this happy church thus grew at Philippi, St. Paul pursued his conquests by founding others elsewhere, at Thessalonica, at Berea, at Athens, at Corinth, and at Ephesus, planting the cross of his Master in all the provinces of Greece. But the devil, envying his success, excited against him the rage of the Jews, who, not being able to put him to death in Jerusalem, accused him before the Roman governors of the country; and after a long captivity in the city of Cesarea, he was finally sent to Rome to be judged by the emperor; there he remained for some years a prisoner. The church of the Philippians, remembering what they owed to their master, visited him in his bonds, despatched Epaphroditus (who appears to have been their pastor) express to Rome, to inquire after him, and to dispense to him some fruits of their charity, rightly judging that, in so sad a situation, he would require assistance both for the necessities and comforts of life. Epaphroditus acquitted himself of his commission, and informed the apostle of the state of the Philippians, and of the assaults directed against their faith by the false teachers among the Jews, who tried to corrupt the gospel, and to mix Moses with Jesus Christ. He assured him of the constancy of his converts, and of their perseverance in his doctrine, and was detained some time with the apostle by a serious illness with which the Lord visited him. When he recovered, St. Paul sent him back to Philippi, and charged him with this Epistle, where, after having commended their piety and their zeal, to strengthen them in this good way, and to fortify them against the temptations of the enemy, he addressed various exhortations and necessary remonstrances to them. In the first place, he declares his cordial affection towards them; he speaks to them of himself, and of his bonds; he conjures them not to lose courage from the extreme dangers in which they saw him; shows them that his imprisonment only promoted the glory of the gospel; and incited them by his example to prepare themselves for similar combats. And because ambition is the mother of discord, which opens the door to false doctrine, and to scandals, he powerfully exhorts them to humility in the 2nd chapter, proposing to them the admirable example of Jesus Christ; and, to console them, he promises very soon to send Timothy to them, hoping shortly himself to follow, and excusing the delay of Epaphroditus, on account of his illness. In the 3rd chapter he attacks the false teachers among the Jews, opposing to the pretended utility of their circumcision the fulness of Jesus Christ, and to their pride and ostentation the advantages of his own birth according to the flesh, of his former conversation in the profession of the law, and the holiness of his present life; warning them that the only object at which we all ought to strive is, that we may have part in the death and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Finally, in the last chapter, after having briefly, but ardently, exhorted them to a persevering and earnest pursuit after sanctification, he thanks them for their charity, and finishes, as usual, by prayers for their welfare, and by the remembrances of the believers who were at Rome. This, dear

brethren, is the occasion and subject of this Epistle. May God, who inspired his apostle to write it, give us grace, to me to explain it, and to you to hear it, honestly, and in a Christian-like spirit, to the glory of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, and to our common joy and edification. Amen.

Upon the present occasion, in order that I may give you a distinct understanding of the verses which you have heard, I shall, with the blessing of God, consider three points in them: First, The inscription, or address, of the Epistle, contained in the two first verses. Secondly, The thanksgivings and prayers of St. Paul to God for the Philippians, in the three following verses. And finally, The assurance that he felt of their future perseverance; this he sets forth in the last verse of our text.

I. The inscription of the Epistle, the first of these three points, is contained in these words; "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons :" to which I shall join the following salutation, usual in the Epistles of this apostle; "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul, the author of this Epistle, is so well known to you, that it is not necessary that I should stop to describe him; besides which, we shall hereafter have occasion on the 3rd chapter to speak of the principal circumstances of his condition, both before and after his conversion. He does not here mention his quality of apostle, which shines in the titles of the greater number of his other Epistles, and in my opinion for two reasons: first, because his dignity was well known to the Philippians to whom he wrote; secondly, because he associates himself with Timothy in this place, and wrote not only in his own name, but in that of this disciple also, to whom the quality of apostle did not belong. He therefore assumes a title which was common to them both, viz. that of "servants of Jesus Christ." It is true, that in a certain sense this title belongs to all Christians, inasmuch as it signifies generally the subjects of the Lord, who owe him, and yield to him, an absolute subjection. For as he has not only created us, but has moreover redeemed us with his blood, it is clear that we are his subjects by a double right. But I am of opinion that St. Paul here uses the word "servants" in another sense, meaning the ministers and officers of Jesus Christ, whom he has established in a certain charge over his flocks, to govern and to feed them, in the same way as Moses, Aaron, Samuel, and many others, are usually called servants of God, in the ancient Scriptures, by reason of the offices which they exercised in Israel. In this sense, the word "servant of Christ" is rather a name of dignity than of subjection, and is employed to recommend and extol the quality of those to whom it is given, rather than for the purpose of abasing them, and reducing them to an equality with others, and only belongs to those who exercise some authority in the church: such were Paul and Timothy; the first, the apostle of the Lord, which is the highest dignity in the church; the latter, evangelist and prophet, which was the second after the apostleship. He addresses his Epistle generally to the whole body of the church at Philippi, and then particularly to those who guided it, who have since been called "the clergy," to distinguish them from the people.

He calls the former "all the saints which are at Philippi;" that is to say, all the faithful. For you know that, in the style of the apostles, the name of saint is given generally to all true Christians, in the first place, because God has separated them from other men by his calling, thus drawing them into

communion with his Son; and secondly, because he has purified them by the power of his Spirit from the filth of their sins, giving them love and other Christian virtues, in which true holiness consists: thus you see how entirely contrary to sense, and to the doctrine of the apostles, is the opinion of those who reckon among the true members of the church the wicked and the worldly-minded, who are disguised under a false profession of Christianity. But as St. Paul addresses this Epistle to all the faithful at Philippi, expressly distinguishing them from the bishops and deacons, it thus appears clear that his intention is, that all true Christians, whatever may be their condition in the church, should read his divine letters in opposition to the presumption of those who deny them to the people. Believers, enjoy boldly the right which St. Paul has given you in his writings. Search and study them carefully. You are not less the people of the Lord than were the Philippians. But learn also in this place how very high is the rank of Christians which is here given you. It belongs alone to the saints. If your conscience convicts you of having no part in so excellent a name, on account of the sinfulness of your life, with which holiness is incompatible, be sure that neither are you Christians; and having day and night at heart this true saying of the apostle, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," Rom. viii. 9, cleanse yourselves from all the spots of vice, and yield yourselves unto holiness, allowing yourselves to be guided in all your ways by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who is its only author.

As to those who ruled over the church of the Philippians, the apostle calls them "bishops and deacons ;" comprising under the word "bishops" all the pastors and teachers who laboured in the word, whether in teaching, exhortation, catechising, or consolation; and under the name of deacons " those who had the charge of the tables, and of the poor, and administered the consecrated alms, according to the distinction of officers in the church which the apostles had established in the beginning, as we read in the Acts. It is true that at present, and for many ages past, the word "bishop" is taken in a different sense throughout Christendom, for him who presides over one church, and over all its clergy, exercising therein a special authority. But here St. Paul evidently takes the word "bishop" otherwise. For he puts many bishops in one church, whereas, according to the usual meaning of the word, it can have but one. And truly it is clear from this and from many other passages, that in the time of the apostles the words bishop and presbyter, that is to say, elder, signified one and the same office, that which we now call the holy ministry; and it does not appear, from any part of the New Testament, that in the first century there was any other dignity in the usual ministry of the church above that. St. Jerom long ago made this judicious remark in many parts of his works, concluding that the presbyter and bishop are by right equal, according to the first apostolic institution; and that the difference which there is at present has been since established to preserve order and unity, being consequently but of arbitrary and human, and not of Divine appointment. I acknowledge that in the assembly of the ministers of each church it is needful, to avoid confusion, that there should be one to preside. But this prerogative does not prevent his colleagues or brethren from being equal to him in reality, as it respects the authority of government.

And, in the first place, let us learn here in general how dangerous it is to depart, however little, from the discipline and language of the apostles. For

this word "bishop" having been taken differently from what they intended, and having been individually given to the presidents of each college of ministers, has made them imagine that they were greater than their brethren; and this first error has produced an infinity of others: the metropolitans having by degrees encroached upon the dignity of the bishops, as the bishops had done on that of ministers or presbyters; and the patriarchs having afterwards elevated themselves above the metropolitans; until at last, by many artifices, and much adroitness, the Roman prelate has drawn to himself all that authority which the others had usurped in the church, and even more. May so sad and fatal an event render us wise to keep ourselves constantly and faithfully to the institutions of God, without attending to the discourses of those who so earnestly strive to make us acknowledge a pope in the church of Jesus Christ.

Let us also learn, by this example of the church of the Philippians, what and how marvellous was the efficacy of the apostolic preaching. For when St. Paul wrote this Epistle to the Philippians, it was only about nine or ten years since he had first preached the gospel there. In this little time faith and piety had made such progress, notwithstanding the opposition and contradiction of the pagans and Jews, that there was already a church sufficient to occupy many bishops and deacons.

After this address, the apostle salutes them with his usual benediction, "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." He has good reason, in the first place, to desire that they may have "grace," that is to say, the mercy and favour of God, as it is the only source from whence all kinds of blessings flow to us; and then "peace," the precious fruit of grace, signifying by this word, according to the style of the Hebrews, great prosperity and happy success in all things; in a word, felicity, and the abundance of every good thing. And it is from God the Father that he desires both the one and the other: as he is the first author of them, without whose favour happiness itself would become misery; so, on the contrary, his love converts misfortunes themselves into blessings. Thus his grace is the foundation of our happiness; for if he be propitious to us, it is not possible for us to be unhappy; and his peace is the very substance of our happiness. He calls himself "our Father," to show that what he desires for us are truly the favours and grace of God, in which our adoption consists, and which alone render us the children of the Lord. And it is for this reason he adds, "and from the Lord Jesus Christ;" not only that the Lord Jesus is God blessed for ever with the Father, having all things in common with him by his eternal generation, but also because he has been constituted Mediator between the Father and us, in such a way, that we receive no grace from him but through the medium of his Son. For by his death he has opened that supreme source of blessing which was sealed and closed up by his justice, and of which the cross of Christ has removed the seals. He has received from thence all the fulness of the Father's blessings, to the end, that from thence, as from a common reservoir, they should be derived, and distributed to each believer in a suitable measure.

II. After this title and blessing, the apostle thus commences his Epistle: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Masters of the art of elocution teach us that the business of the exordium (that is to say, the be

ginning of our discourse) is to gain the good-will of those to whom we speak. In fact, as hatred, dislike, and indifference close the entrance into men's hearts, it is necessary, when we desire to persuade them, that first of all we should prepare their minds, and fill them with a favourable prepossession in our favour, so that our arguments may be received into their understandings. To this end the apostle labours in this and the following verses to the 12th. To revive and rekindle the good-will of his Philippian converts towards him, and by this means to render them more attentive and teachable, he tells them of his ardent affection for them; he praises them, and declares the high opinion he entertains of them and of their piety, so much so that, beyond the past and the present, to which he bears the most honourable testimony, he even assures himself of their constancy for the future, which is the most excellent degree of virtue, and, as it were, its last and supreme perfection. He then testifies to them at once both the satisfaction that he received from their piety, and the love that he felt for them, by the continual thanksgivings and prayers which he offered to God in their behalf, in that they had so quickly and firmly embraced the gospel of his Son. This is the summary of the second part of our text. As to the thanksgivings that he offered for them, he speaks of them in these words, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." For we ought to join these verses to one another, leaving out the one which is between the two. Instead of, as we have translated the words, "every time that I make mention of you," it is word for word in the original, " in every remembrance or mention of you;" which some interpret, "with an entire and perfect remembrance of you;" as if he would say, having you continually in my memory. And in this way the apostle protests to them the remembrance that he has of them, having them deeply graven on his memory, and having them always before his eyes and in his mind; as we are accustomed to feel towards persons whom we tenderly love, nothing having power to efface their image or their name from our recollections. Though this interpretation may be just and warrantable, yet I do not think it should be adopted to the prejudice of the other, which our Bibles have followed, which is in truth the commonest and the easiest. "I give thanks to God upon every remembrance of you." As if he would say, that he never thought of them, but immediately he presented thanksgivings to the Lord. In which he shows us at once the happiness of the Philippians, his piety towards God, and his love for them. Their happiness; for what and how excellent must have been the condition of these believers, who supplied the apostle with a continual source of satisfaction! who were never recollected by him without obliging him to thank God, placing before his eyes nothing but victory and triumph, causes of rejoicing and thanksgiving! But in that even he manifests his piety, for one of his chief feelings is to praise God, and to thank him for all the gifts that he bestows upon men. A mean and malignant spirit is vexed when God communicates his favours to others, and, instead of offering him thanks, makes him complaints and reproaches. But a truly pious heart never any where sees the favours of its Lord without rejoicing, and blessing him for them. He is very happy that the favours which he has received should become common; and the Scripture particularly mentions the goodness and generosity of Moses, in that he wished that all the Lord's people should prophesy. Believers, let us have this same affection, let us drive from our hearts all envy and malice.

Let us rejoice in the favours which God bestows on men. Let us never think of them without thanking him for them. Besides his glory, the love that we owe to each other would oblige us to do so; and that which the apostle bore to the Philippians appears clearly in this duty, which he yielded to God for them. For if he had not ardently loved them, he would not have been so careful thus to thank the Lord for their prosperity every time that he thought of them.

He calls him "his God," as well for the remarkable providence that he continually displayed for him in his Son Jesus Christ, as for the service that the apostle yielded him in his spirit, and for the lively feeling that he had of both. For though he be the God of all the faithful in common, every one of them in particular who would express the sentiments of his love, and the emotions of his zeal, may rightfully call him his God. As we read that St. Thomas, in the rapturous joy which he felt when he positively recognised the Lord Jesus through his rich grace, expressed his own emotion in suddenly crying out, "My Lord, and my God."

But let us look at the subject of these continual thanksgivings which Paul gave to God for the Philippians: "I thank my God (says he) upon every remembrance of you, because of your fellowship in the gospel, which ye have shown from the first day until now." Some unite these last words, "from the first day until now," with the preceding ones, "I thank my God;" meaning that, from the first day that the apostle had preached the gospel to the Philippians, he had always to that moment thanked the Lord for their faith and obedience; and what he is about to say to us leaves us in no doubt that he had done so. But these last words being so distant from the former, and uniting so well with those that are nearest to them, it does not appear to me needful to separate them; for by making them relate to the fellowship which the Philippians had had in the gospel, the sense is easy and flowing, that from the first day that they received the word of God with faith, they had constantly retained it hitherto, without ever having disgraced their first obedience through any of the temptations to which they had been subjected. He praises them then for two things: first, that they had received the gospel; and, secondly, that they had persevered in its holy fellowship until then. "Fellowship in the gospel," is to receive it and to take part in it; it is to embrace with a firm faith the doctrine of the Lord Jesus, to unite in the society of his faithful people, and to enter by this means into the enjoyment of his favour. If you consider the previous and original state of the Philippians, plunged in the darkness of paganism, and living in the fellowship of demons, and in the society of idolaters, you will acknowledge that it was a wonderful miracle for them to be drawn from such a depth of filth, that they might enter into the fellowship of the gospel, receiving with alacrity a doctrine which was new to them, and which besides so violently opposed their natural inclinations, and the sentiments and customs in which they had been educated; that they had not only yielded a favourable hearing to this Divine mystery, but that they were resolved to become its members, renouncing their former belief and devotions, to submit themselves to the laws of the gospel, and to conform to so difficult and strict a discipline. But it was a still greater miracle that they should continue in it, and in nothing relax from their original warmth, persevering constantly in the faith; neither allowing themselves to be seduced by false apostles, nor to be moved by the sensual pleasures of their previous condition, nor to be shaken by the

promises of their fellow citizens, who doubtless would not forget on such an occasion to use every effort to lead them back again into error; nor, finally, to be conquered by the sufferings of St. Paul, whom they saw excessively persecuted, and as it were reduced to a continual death, for the name of that Jesus which he had taught them. All this touched them not. They courageously retained the gospel which he had given them, and continued in its fellowship till then ; a faith the more excellent, as it was so rare. For of those pagans to whom St. Paul preached the word of life, how few were there who had listened to it who did not make a mockery of its mysteries, like those profane Athenians of whom St. Luke speaks in the Acts! or who did not suspect him of extravagance, like that Festus, who said that his much learning had made him mad! or that the inflexible severity of his Divine philosophy did not discourage, like that Felix, who sent him back much alarmed, saying that he would hear him another time! or that the truth and wisdom of this heavenly doctrine did not provoke, as the Jews, who were mad with spite, and gnashed their teeth at the preaching of Stephen! And of those who approved the gospel, how few were there who had the courage to enrol themselves under its banner, and openly to give their names to Jesus Christ! And finally, of those who had received the word of life, how many were there whom the love of this present world, or the fear of persecution, had driven back into the world! It is therefore with good reason, my brethren, that the apostle here celebrates the faith and perseverance of the Philippians.

But remark, I pray you, that he gives thanks for it to his God; from which we have two things to learn. The first is, that the true subject of our rejoicings and thanksgivings is the fellowship of the gospel. We read that an ancient pagan philosopher was so delighted with having found the truth of a certain proposition in geometry, that out of gratitude for this discovery he sacrificed a hundred bulls to his gods. And yet, notwithstanding, what was this truth which afforded him so much satisfaction, in comparison of that which the great and supreme God has revealed to us in the gospel of his Son, which is not only Divine and heavenly, sublime, and elevated above our understanding, not only beautiful and wonderful to behold, but is also so entirely salutary, that with the highest possible knowledge it brings us life, and immortality, and eternal glory! It is for this blessing, beloved brethren, that we must offer our thanksgivings and the "calves of our lips" to the Lord; and bless him, not for what he has given us of the earth, of gold or of silver, of honour or of credit in the world, of light and intelligence in the mind, of strength or beauty in the body, all vain and perishable things, whatever they may say who, by a deplorable error, have made them the idols of their souls; but that we have part in the gospel, and in the fellowship of Jesus Christ. That is the true happiness of man, and his only jewel; a pearl of inestimable price, which alone is worth a thousand times more than all the others put together. It is for having found it that we ought to prepare, not profane hecatombs, but our spiritual sacrifices, thanking Heaven for it, making earth a sharer in it, and, like the woman in the gospel parable, calling in our neighbours, feasting them with it, and rejoicing in it with them. The other point that the apostle here teaches us is, that God is the author of our faith and piety; that it is he, as he afterwards says, who works in us with efficacy both to will and to do, according to his good pleasure. Otherwise, why did he give him thanks for the fellowship of the Philippians in the gospel? If they owed this advantage to their own free-will, it

God is

was to himself that he must give the glory. too just to wish that his altar should be adorned with the spoils of another, and that he should receive gratitude for blessings which he has not given. That his apostle gives him thanks for the faith of the Philippians clearly shows that their faith was a gift of his grace, and a fruit of his Spirit, produced by his seed, quickened and ripened by his rain and light. But besides this thanksgiving which the apostle presented on behalf of the Philippians for their fellowship in the gospel, which they had preserved till then, he lent them also the assistance of his prayers: "I pray always (says he) for you all, in all my prayers." See, I entreat you, my brethren, how admirable was the love of this apostle! Where is the father that has such an affection for his children? He prays for them, he prays for them all, without forgetting a single one. Whatever difference there might be between them, or however many, this holy man embraces them all in common. He does not pray once or twice alone, but always. Job offered sacrifices for his dear children once a week only; this apostle so loved his own, that at all hours he sacrificed his prayers as victims. His love went still further, it obliged him to have nothing of his own, but to make them partakers in all that belonged to him, "he prayed for them in all his prayers." He offered none in which there was not a part for them. Oh admirable and incomparable love! This apostle was bound at Rome in a painful chain for a cause that was hated, and for which he was to be judged at the tribunal of Nero, the most cruel monster that ever lived; he was in the claws of this lion, and expected every instant to be devoured. Nevertheless, his Philippian converts were so close to his heart, that even in this extremity he divides his prayers with them; he makes none for himself in which he does not remember them. The iron, the fire, death, the end of this life, the nearness of another, the horrors of earth, and the delights of heaven; the fears, the hopes, the passions, the emotions, and the thoughts, which arose within him in this situation; did not make him forget his Philippian friends. He has them at all times before his eyes; and however melancholy might be the situation in which he was placed, the remembrance of these believers rejoiced him; he prayed for them with joy. This image was so agreeable to him, that it never entered into his mind but it brought with it contentment and peace. From this, believers, you see the love which pastors owe their flocks, and with what care they are bound to seek their salvation, not only by the preaching of the word, and the assiduous exercise of the other functions of their office, but also by the help of their prayers. They should never offer any in which their sheep have not a part, and no business, accident, or danger can excuse them from this remembrance. They ought rather, so to speak, to forget themselves, than the souls which the Lord has confided to their charge. But, dear brethren, if we owe you our prayers, you also owe us yours; the holy tie which unites us rendering the necessity of this duty equal on both sides. From whence it appears how earnest we should be in prayer; for if we have no other subject than this mutual help that we owe to one another, it is enough to oblige us not to pass an hour without prayer.

III. But I return to the apostle, who after having declared his love and his cares for the Philippians, founded on the fervent piety which they had hitherto shown, adds, that as he was perfectly satisfied with their conduct for the time past, so was he assured that he should be so in future, which is the highest testimony he could render to their faith, and after